The first principle encompasses affirming Allah’s attributes, His oneness, and divine decree, and recounting Allah’s dealings with His allies and enemies—the stories He has related to His servants and the parables He has set forth for them. The second principle encompasses the detailed religious laws, commands, prohibitions, and permissions, and an explanation of what Allah loves and what He dislikes. The third principle encompasses belief in the Last Day, Paradise and Hell, and reward and punishment.

Creation and divine command revolve around these three principles, and happiness and success depend upon them. There is no way to know them except through the messengers, for reason cannot discover their details or comprehend their realities, although it may recognize in general terms why they are indispensable. It is like a sick person who recognizes his need for medicine and someone to treat him, but cannot discern the precise nature of his illness or how to apply the appropriate remedy.

A servant’s need for the divine message is far greater than a sick person’s need for medicine. The worst conceivable consequence of having no physician is the death of the body. But if a servant does not receive the light and life brought by the divine message, his heart dies a death from which there is no hope of ever returning to life, or he becomes wretched